The last time Chris Wingert ran through the tunnel at Rio Tinto Stadium, it was coming from the visitor’s locker room, so when the Real Salt Lake defender got the opportunity to start against Tigres UANL in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal match last week, it was a moment he cherished.
In his ninth season with the Claret-and-Cobalt, Wingert is back after a one-year hiatus with New York City FC and already has been called upon in two matches in RSL’s young season. As he works his way into the lineup while competing with incumbent left back Demar Phillips and also pushing his teammates in the other three positions along the backline, Wingert is taking on the 2016 season with a newfound exhilaration.
“In a way it felt like old times, going out there on the field with the guys,” he said. “It was a little surreal for a second because I didn’t think that I’d be back here playing with this team again. I’m excited about it.”
Wingert has a storied history with RSL. Coming over from the rival Colorado Rapids in a trade in July of 2007, he established himself early on as a versatile presence in Salt Lake’s defense. He made his home as the starting left back and was a stalwart in RSL’s lineup until moving to his native New York to play with expansion NYCFC last season. With a coaching change in New York, Wingert was made available and quickly was a target to return to the Wasatch front.
To say it was an easy transition for him would be an understatement.
“I don’t feel like I’ve had any trouble getting back into the swing of things with the guys and that’s a credit to them for making it easy to play with,” said Wingert, who has played 205 regular season matches for RSL, many of which have come with players that make up the core of the current roster. “When you have a lot of talented guys, which I believe we do, it’s a seamless transition.”
Added Kyle Beckerman, who was a teammate of Wingert’s with the Rapids before he too came to Salt Lake in a July 2007 trade, “He’s fit right back in like he never left. It’s been great having him back. He plays the way we want to play and it feels so natural with him back there. It’s been great to get him back and I look forward to playing many more games with him.”
While his impact in the locker room has been profound, he has also added some much-needed leadership on the field too. Filling in at left back for Phillips in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Wingert was instrumental in limiting Tigres to just four shots in a match that was largely dominated by RSL. Three days later, Phillips was back in the starting lineup after recovering from the illness that kept him off the field against Tigres. However, a first-half red card to Phillips saw Head Coach Jeff Cassar call on Wingert again on short notice and he responded with 66 solid minutes in a substitute role.
“It’s not surprising. That’s why we picked him up – to add more quality, experienced players to our team,” Cassar said. “We didn’t know if it was going to be at center back, left back, right back, where he was going to help us out. So far he’s been instrumental in giving us an unbelievable option there. It’s going to be competition between him and Demar all year and we’re going to have to have that rotation to stay fresh and to stay fit.”
For his part, Wingert is ready to step in to any role that Cassar asks of him and early returns are that he can certainly still be a contributing factor for the club. And while he is expected to start at left back on Saturday in the MLS regular season home opener against Seattle in place of Phillips while he serves a one-match suspension for his red card against Orlando City, that won’t change the preparation for the consummate professional Wingert.
“I’m always expecting to be called upon. You just have to be ready when called upon,” he said. “I just prepare like I’m going to play and if it happens, I’m ready to go.”
